Rancher's Creed (Ciaran O'Connor Book 2)

by Alyssa Bailey

  Katie began to mutter to herself and gently cajole her horse into staying calm; all the while urging her mount to get them home quickly. Finally, the torrential rain slowed and the heaving Katie had found both herself and her horse to have started was tapering off. While the thunder and lightning were still pounding, it had moved off them as center stage and that calmed her horse, calming Katie and taking the worst of the rains with it farther south.

  Just as Katie began to see the pasture behind the house come into view, she heard a loud succession of shots off to the west of her. At the first shot, she thought it must have been thunder that she was not yet finished hearing, but then the next shot was quickly followed by two more and it was obvious that it was gunfire. Knowing no one was hunting in this weather and out of season and especially on O'Connor land, she found herself turning in that direction almost without thought. Who would be so stupid as to hunt on our land and out of season? Katie was determined to find out and educate them on the right way to do things in O'Connor country.

  Katie came up on a bison, newly shot and killed, bleeding out on the ground. She knew better than to get too close to a wounded or hurt animal but could tell this one would have no rebound energy left for it was dead. Getting down off her horse, she tied the reins to her belt loop and leaned down to feel the animal. Warm, still bleeding, and the smell of a shooting gun still left lingering in the air, despite the rain, told Katie the cause was the gunshots she had heard a few moments before.

  The additional meaning was the shooter must have been within sight. Katie stood to look around to see if there were any more dead animals and could see none, but the two wounds on the bison told her there were some missed shots. A good hunter would not have needed four shots for two solid hits. Besides, a bison was like the side of a barn. You can't miss.

  Standing tall, she shook her head and decided she needed to mark the spot and see if she could bring Ciarán and Liam back to see the animal and figure out what happened. Her wetness and the chill it brought with it made Katie reach over, untie the reins of her horse, and climb back on. As she went to bring her mount around towards home, she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye.

  Putting her chilled body on hold, hesitating for a moment to think of her husband and how angry he or any of the O'Connor men would be if they knew she had done even this much investigating alone, she hesitated a moment more. Having come to a decision, Katie took a deep breath, shivered a bit with her fear for her ability to sit if Ciarán found out and decided it was worth satisfying her curiosity.

  Katie decided in for a penny in for a pound and galloped over towards the movement in the copse to the further west of the dead bison. As she began to approach, a lone horseman took off at a high gallop, racing off further away in the opposite direction. Watching carefully, she saw the rider was male, sitting about as tall as Cián in the saddle but much bulkier than he was. She tried to think who that might be and mentally went through the list of people she knew who were that build, but no one came to mind that closely fit the description.

  Katie began to follow but knew she couldn't do anything if she caught up with him and being much larger than she was, the likelihood that she would not fare well was great. Besides, her mind was becoming as numb as her body from the wet and cold. She regretted not having the jelly in her PB&J earlier—she could have used the extra energy. Wearily, she whipped around and went the rest of the way home. As she walked her mount into the stable, she ran into Jonathan, who was waiting for Ciarán's group to return.

  "I thought you were one of the group returning, Auntie Katherine. It sure was a storm out there," Jon said as he reached for her reins. She nodded her head in agreement.

  "Could you please take care of my mount? I would do it, but I am freezing cold and need to get into the shower or at least change clothes before I talk to your dad. By what you said, I guess Ciarán isn't back yet, so that is good for me. Now don't tell Ciarán I was out riding and got caught in the rain; he would have a hissy fit."

  "I guess he would, and rightly so." Her nephew laughed but with a bit of chastisement in his words. He learned fast being around these O'Connor men. Figures.

  "I know, but I was too far to see the rain come in, so don't give me away."

  "No ma'am, but I won't lie if he asks me straight out. That is not how we do things around here and I have a feeling you know that," Jonathan finished as he began pulling tack off the horse and shifting to speaking tenderly to her tired mount.

  "I know. You are turning into your father way too easily, Jon. Thank you for doing this for me. Give her a treat will you because she has done a lot for me tonight." With a final pat of appreciation, Katie headed for the phone and her hot shower.

  Just as she was getting off the phone with Liam and giving him minimum information so he could go check out the Bison himself, she climbed into the shower with a sigh of satisfaction. She hoped her berries survived the extended trip on horseback and Liam found what she had come across coming home. Liam, as all O'Connor men instinctively did, immediately asked how she was, making sure she didn't come to any harm, before getting the rest of the details. As she denied any problems, omitting that she had chased the rider for a bit, but identifying that she had seen him and the estimated height and bulk of the rider, Liam allowed her to ring off for her shower.

  While the omission bothered Katie a bit, she knew that if she had let on that she had not only gone towards the shots but towards the wounded or dead animal without someone with her, she would be as in danger as the bison had been. However, unlike the bison, she would survive. The other part was she was foolhardy in her chase after the rider/hunter and she acknowledged the dangerousness of her move as she let her brain take over her actions, which was why she stopped and went home.

  Just before Liam had allowed Katie to hang up, he offered Jocelyn or Alisha, or even Shane, who was staying to oversee the work site this week, to go over to see how she was. She declined any help, stating she just needed a hot bath and would wait for Ciarán.

  Liam tried to be content with that, expecting Ciarán would take his wife to task for being out in the weather and then checking on the bison alone. For the hundredth time and more, Liam wondered how, that as take charge as the O'Connor men were, they still found themselves with very confident women who did not take direction well. Nevertheless, he also acknowledged to himself that the conflicts were exciting and were part of the sizzle that he loved about Jocelyn and he was sure the others felt the same. Kissing his piece of excitement, he filled her in briefly and went to jump on the four-wheeler he saved for these types of occasions. It was too late to mount up, and it would be safer and faster this way.

  Ciarán had come in wet and tired but feeling accomplished as he enlisted several stable-hands to take care of the mounts from the riding school. He was glad the rains had not come until they were heading back so that the last half hour was the worst, finishing the last fifteen minutes or so in the aftermath of the rain but not a bad way to see how everyone handled their mounts and topped off their confidence in riding. Most stabled their horses with the O'Connors and so expected to leave them. The rest could either take care of them and then load up for home or leave them overnight for pick up the next day. Ciarán left the stable hands and the owners to decide.

  Katie was just drying off when Ciarán bounded up to the bedroom looking for his wife and a shower. His eyes appreciatively took in his beautiful wife, all aglow after a hot shower and said, "I hope you left me some hot water, lómhara."

  "Ciarán, you know we can't run out of hot water with that new hot water on demand tank."

  Ciarán laughed. "I know, but it is a lifelong habit with as many siblings as I have. I'll be out soon."

  She went downstairs and was heating hot water for tea when Liam knocked on the door as he walked into the front room. Coming around the corner, Katie started to say something but saw the look on his face and stopped in her tracks. Not sure exactly what put the look on his face,
she waited for Liam to speak.

  "Ciarán here?" Liam demanded as he strode further into and through the front room into the kitchen area, as though she were hiding him in the kitchen.

  "In the shower, what's wrong?" Katie asked, beginning to feel alarmed.

  "You, young lady, have some explaining to do. Did you tell me that you could tell how high the rider was sitting in his saddle and how big he was?"

  Katie nodded, still perplexed.

  "And he was in the grove of trees to the west of the downed bison?"

  Again, she nodded, with growing apprehension but she didn't know why.

  "Katherine O'Connor, I should take you over my knee. Do you know that it is too far from the bison to the tree line to know that unless you rode over much closer to whomever it was who had just shot that animal? It was obvious he was still armed and you were alone. You do not know how much I want to spank you raw. Don't expect less from your husband."

  Liam ran his hand through his hair characteristically. He was irritated and was not sure how to handle this. His hands itched to make contact with her bottom but knew it was Ciarán's place. He sure wished that Ciarán was on some trip and the issue was in his hands. He was reminded how Ciarán allowed him to handle that trip to visit the folks that Jocelyn had done while he was away, instead of handling it himself. Ciarán had told him very much the same thing.

  Katie heard Liam almost growl out the words that exposed her full exploit, and she felt her heart sink. She looked up to see Ciarán walking down the stairs as Liam renewed his search of his brother and simultaneously the teakettle whistled. The sound jangled Katie's already hyper-vigilant nerves making her jump almost out of her skin. Racing to take the noise maker off the heat, she tried to calm her nerves and looked up to Ciarán standing in the kitchen.

  "Anyone want some tea?" That wasn't too bad; I didn't have much of a tremor.

  "I think you are going to want something a bit stronger after I have a chat," announced Liam. Then he calmly relayed the incident of the dead bison and he allowed Katie to add her part of that story. She, not as calm as Liam but well controlled, told how she was returning from her evening ride. It was one of the several pauses in her story that Ciarán insisted on while he asked some clarifying questions. Finally, when the story was told, she heaved a sigh of relief, hoping it was over. After all, it was well known that of the married brothers, Ciarán was the mildest, if you could use that word with any of the brothers. Shane was tenderhearted but Ciarán less intense.

  However, Liam, being a protective and irritated brother-in-law, continued his part of the story that involved him going to the site, seeing that there had been two shots to the head of the bison, verifying what Katie had said.

  "And that detail, my dear sister, you would not have known unless you were very close," stated her brother who she wished was someone else's brother tonight.

  He went on to explain the closeness that would have had to take place for Katie to have the descriptors of the shooter as she had and the story was complete. Katie thought it was a good time to retreat to the kitchen from the dining room. She was stopped by Ciarán. His voice was deceptively quiet and intense, and one Katie knew only too well. "Katherine, please have a seat. Is there anything that you would like to add to the events?"

  Katie could only shake her head silently and respond with a whispered, "No," lowering her head, as she knew Ciarán was as angry as his brother had been. She wanted to yell that it was instinct on autopilot not conscious thought that brought her to that bison. That same response brought her to follow the rider.

  Liam, story told, just wanted to talk about what their next move would need to be. Liam had sent out several hands to bring the bison in tonight so the scavengers or the shooter could not come and get the downed animal. They would hang it to finish bleeding it, let it age a day, and then butcher, saving the hide, hoofs, sinew, and meat.

  Katie marveled that both men, angry though they had been, were calming discussing the issue, effectively ignoring her, but every time she began to get up, Ciarán pinned her with his look and silent demand she not move. This is what Jocelyn called the 'Dom affect'. It was behavior that Liam exhibited consistently and while Katie did not see it too often, safety issues always brought it out in Ciarán. Finally, she had finished her tea and had decided her husband was not going to intimidate her so she got up, refusing to look his way. She did, however, get in a quick glance at Liam who appeared to be smothering an amused grin.

  Katie knew this was not the end of the discussion, as did Liam. He also knew Ciarán had been silently directing her to stay seated. Therefore, Liam must also have deduced that Katie was done with the intimidation and he should go home so his brother could explain the safety concerns of his wife's choices to her. The spice of life was a feisty wife and these women of theirs sure were that.

  While Katie finished cleaning up and putting the kitchen to rights, Liam had left and Ciarán was leaning against the doorjamb, waiting for her to turn around.

  "Katie, we need to talk about tonight."

  Katie released a sigh of inevitability and said, "I expected as much."

  She followed him into the front room and sat where he indicated next to him on the sofa. Still in the Dom mode, I guess. Bringing her within the circle of his arm and encouraging her to lean her head on his shoulder, he said, "Mo chroí, what were you thinking to get so close to a potentially wounded but still living animal as large as the bison? He was dead, but you could not have known that unless you got closer than was safe. Then to follow the shooter, putting yourself in harm's way again, not to mention the change in weather you didn't notice and the lightning on the open fields could have been deadly." Ciarán shivered.

  Katie shrugged and said in a small voice, "I wanted to find out who shot the bison if I could, and I was already chasing him before I realized how unsafe it could be. I quit following then and came home to tell Liam. It's not as though I expected to stop him or anything, I just went after him without thinking. Ciarán, nothing happened."

  "This time," he quietly pointed out.

  Katie, not willing to give in so easily, continued, "And we get caught in the weather all the time. I was under cover and just missed it, nothing to worry about."

  "This time, but you were not so lucky before, in Sheridan," reminded Ciarán.

  "That was different. I slipped and that is how I got hurt. That is something anyone would have done," she countered.

  "Except you went too far up the trail, and Quinlan had already told you to not go so far," clarified Ciarán.

  "How did he know…" Shrugging her shoulders and waved her hands dismissingly because she had been caught but evidently had been caught before Ciarán had warmed her butt over it. No wonder he was not so kind in the delivery.

  "And I had to get home, how else was I supposed to do it but ride back across the field?" challenged Katie, feeling she had finally won a point.

  "You should have ridden just inside the tree line or better yet, sat it out," countered Ciarán.

  Irritation was rising in Katie and she tried to jump up in exasperation, but Ciarán anticipated her move and tightened his strong arms, thereby assuring she went nowhere. An irritated growl came from her chest and she worked at wrestling free but knew she was engaging in a losing battle.

  "Fine, I shouldn't have tried to fill my time, I shouldn't have gone out, and I shouldn't have picked berries so I could not see the weather change. I shouldn't have tried to get home sooner rather than later. I shouldn't have investigated the gunfire. I shouldn't have checked out the bison and I shouldn't have gotten closer to the movement in the trees that turned out to be the hunter or whatever. No," Katie amended, "what I shouldn't have done, Ciarán, is I should not have told Liam anything. I should have left the bison, kept quiet about it, let it become discovered and that would have stopped all of this mess. And you can believe that is what I am going to do next time."

  Katie tried to get up again and Ciarán held ont
o her as though she were a small child.

  "Ciarán let me up!"

  "No." It was a quiet statement but one that left no doubt as to the likelihood of him changing his mind.

  "What?"

  "No. I am not going to let you up. Katie, do you like it when I pay the bills so you don't have to deal with them?"

  "Huh? Yeah."

  "And what about shoeing your horse, or cutting the wood for the fireplace or cleaning the gutters?"

  "Sure."

  "Building this house? Fighting your battles with the accountant, massaging your back, driving you home after you have hurt your driving leg?"

  "Yes. What is the point?"

  "The point, mo chroí, is that the man who loves to do all of that for you does it because he loves you. He would go to hell and back to make sure you had all you need, but sometimes what you want and what you need are in conflict. I will always give you what you need and that means you won't always get what you want. What you want right now is for me to be okay with you putting yourself in danger, with knowing that you could have been hurt or worse, dead, and I just can't do that." He rubbed her arms with his arms crossing her chest.

  "I promised to love, honor, and protect, and I have already told you that I take that seriously. I take that more seriously than anything in my life and protecting your life is always going to be my privilege. So, no, I will not let you up, I won't let you dismiss this, I won't be fine with this having happened. Katie, I will not ever be fine with anything like this. I love you. I adore you."